Subscribe to Journal

Tuesday, March 1st 2011

10:36 AM

You Should Be Dancing: Tony Manero & "Ataru Game"

"I get my high when I'm dancing."

- Tony Manero, Saturday Night Fever

I want to thank everyone for their interest and participation in these Game-related posts over the past few weeks or so; as I was reviewing the site stats for the past month (and which will be released this coming Sunday) I was taken aback by the uptick in reader interest, expressed in unique site views. This tells me what my readers what to see more of, and I hear you loud and clear. So, with that said, let's continue with our perusal and study of Game...

Two commenters in particular, from our previous post, CSPB an DJ, made a powerful point about the importance of dancing in a Man's seduction repetoire; and it's true - a Man who has moves on the dancefloor instantly has a decided advantage over other guys when it comes to upping his notch count. There's simply no getting around that fact. Dancing is one of a number of proxies Women use to gauge a Man's sexual prowess, and has been with us as long as they have been Human Beings, and for that matter, animals of all kinds, on the planet. They don't call it the "mating dance" for nothing, don't you know.

I made a reference to the smash hit film, "Saturday Night Fever" in my last post, and since one of my commenters particularly enjoyed said reference, and because two other commenters talked at some length on the importance of the dance, and since I've talked about the different styles of Game a Man can have and deploy, I thought I would illustrate a bit of what I meant by using SNF as a prima facia example of one of the "forms" or styles of Game, which I refer to as Ataru Game. Also, please understand something: you can and should avail yourself of as many sources of material to learn from, for the student of Game is constantly learning, observing, trying out new things, and the like. Just because something is fictional does not mean that it isn't relevant or useful; indeed, SNF's enduring success, more than 30 years after its release, means that it has struck a very deep chord of resonance in people worldwide, and which of course, made John Travolta an instant household name.

As I've said previously, Ataru Game is is a style of seduction which is focused on the body, where often the Man in question uses his body for maximum effect along these lines. SNF's Tony Manero, is a picture perfect example of this principle in action - in addition to being tall (and even taller given the platform heeled shoes he wears), he uses a style of dancing that's "big" - if you watch the film, you will notice that his dance moves takes up a lot of space; he often has the entire dancefloor to himself. When dancing with a partner (or two, or three) he often uses his long arms a lot, so even when there are other couples out on the dancefloor, they tend to be "crowded out" by his manner of dancing. He "makes a hole" whenever he's on the floor. This is even true when he and Stephanie enter the niteclub's dancing contest, and they choose a more sedate song to dance to - they moves are still such that takes up the entire floor and are broadly expressive. Whether he's line dancing, doing the Tango Hustle, or whatever, Tony's style is very high energy, and is irresistable to the ladies because of it.

But that's only a part of Tony's Game; another part of it is in the way he Peacocks. Right at the very beginning of the film we see him walking down the street of his Bay Ridge Brooklyn neighborhood, and what is he wearing? RED shoes, and a matching RED shirt - he looks like a tall rooster or something - but there he is, conspicuously standing out from everybody else, Male and Female alike. And this is on a regular workday, as he's carrying a can of paint to his job, the local hardware and paint store. His gait is literally like that of a rooster, in fact. Guys who work a lot of Ataru Game tend to do things like this.

And then there's the iconic white suit Tony wore for the dancing contest - he had an innate understanding of the theatrical and knew that he had to make a powerful impression on the dancefloor in order to have a chance at winning the prize (which was more than mere money; it also meant Stephanie, too). Even in a discotheque at the height of the Disco phase, he stood out - that's Ataru Game to the max. And think about it - when's the last time you saw a guy wearing an all white suit anywhere? Other than Tom Wolfe and Colonel Sanders, one is hardpressed to think up an instance. The last time I personally saw something like that was last Summer during the Ralphael Siddiq concert in Central Park - he wore an all white suit and matching white short-sleeve shirt, and he looked great. No one else came even close.

Because Ataru Game puts such a focus on the body, it works best when a Man's body itself is "extreme" in some way - either really tall, or really short. Or if you're older than might be expected for the venue, or the other way, a lot younger. Or if you're a guy like The Wire's Bunk Moreland or The Green Mile's Michael Clark Duncan, or if you're more dimunitive, like say, Allen Iverson or Prince or Bruce Lee. Ataru operates on the extremes of the principles of Game, indeed it thrives there, and really makes an impression when you combine that with all the energy and wide, sweeping moves this style is known for, because for Ataru Game to work best, one needs lots of room to roam.

Tony's understanding of feminine psychology and the like weren't anywhere near as developed as the other things mentioned here - what many in the community refer to as the difference between Inner Game and Outer Game - still though, we can observe a number of his actions and learn from them. For one thing, notice how he constantly (though negatively, much of the time) negs Annette, his original dance partner. She expresses feelings for him, which he often rebuffs. Recall what I've said previously about the ability to resist giving in, at least too soon, to a Woman's charms; it will almost always have the effect of her wanting you to have her even more. Second, notice in the opening shots of SNF, Tony attempting to apply "Holla back Game" on two ladies walking down the street, and how it does NOT work, LOL. Again, as a rule, hitting on Moving Targets isn't a good idea, unless you do it a certain way, which I'll get to later in this series. One of the major reasons why Tony failed at both attempts to holla at the young ladies he saw on the street was because he lacked the fundamentals of Game that would have equipped him to drive for a better outcome - it still would have been difficult, but he could have improved his chances. This is why one should if nothing else, be firmly rooted in Shii-Cho Game because of the stress it lays on the fundamentals.

We see Tony fail again when walking Stephanie home from dance practice, and instead of merely doing it - walking her the rest of the way home - he asks. Asking "Mother, May I?" is a tremendous DLV - if you think you could have, you could have and you should have. And of course, his attempts to seduce an older, more urbane Woman has some serious fits and starts, as she easily bests him in terms of sophistication, conversation and life experience; the ONLY thing that saves him is his good looks and his great dancing skills. This is a powerful lesson here for the student - gunning after Women like Stephanie - Women of substance, class AND beauty - require quite a bit more than flashy displays. Had Tony been rooted in the fundamentals of Game, he would have had a much better time with Stephanie, although, of course, him doing so would have ruined the movie's plot, LOL.

There is one time in Tony and Stephanie's courtship where he clearly gets the upperhand (which is what Women want to happen): in the dance studio, after Stephanie cuts Tony down to size several times, he closes in on her and says, "I hear you're training to be a bitch; is that true?", and then shimmies away from her. Note how she's stunned by this well-placed and well-timed Neg. Things begin to open up for Tony from there, and here we see yet another very important principle of Game: the more beautiful, and "all that" the Target is, the more you MUST employ the Neg. This is important; Stephanie constantly namedrops - she's met Eric Clapton, Paul Anka, and so forth - so in order for Tony to be successful with her off the dancefloor, he's gotta bring her down to earth, and routinely shocking her into compliance with Negs is one of the best ways to do that.

Now, this is completely different from what Tony does to Annette, and here again we see a very important principle wrt the Neg - Women who either aren't very beautiful, and/or have deepseated (and apparent) LSE (Low Self-Esteem) you should NOT Neg as much, if at all. Such a thing isn't useful and often can be quite counterproductive, as we saw later in the film. Annette isn't ugly by any estimation, but she clearly lacks the worldliness of Stephanie, which includes the realm of dancing, and all this makes Annette feel quite insecure. Tony's treatment of her was quite bad, and something I do not condone or endorse. He's under no obligation to be romantically involved with her, true, but he's also outta pocket for the way in which he treats her, too. Always remember: save for your Negs for the Women who truly deserve them.

Going back to Negging and how they work in the seduction dance - Tony and Stephanie grow closer together as a result of their spending time to practice for the contest and during the dance-off itself, at one point in their routine, they kiss - in fact, it is very common for really great dancers like Tony to be kissed by the Women they dance with (recall the earlier scene where Tony dances with two Women at once and one of them demands that he kiss her, nearly passing out afterward and saying that she kissed Al Pacino! Something I found particularly interesting, since Pacino is quite a bit shorter than Travolta, LOL). Dancing achieves the goals of Kino and escalation all at once, something we'll be talking about more in the posts to come (H/T to CSPB for broaching the topic!), which is another reason as to why if you can do so, definitely aim to be a great dancer. Lastly, note how Tony and Stephanie end their dance routine for the contest - Tony leads them off the dancefloor. Fellas, Women want to be led, and if you're not doing the leading, eventually, someone else will.

A few concluding thoughts are in order here. Both CSPB and DJ mentioned the importance of dancing especially if you're a White guy, and I couldn't agree more - John Travolta is hands down one of the best White guys on the dancefloor since Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, and Hugh Jackman is no slouch in the dancing department either. I can't speak for the other three, but I know for a fact that Travolta got his moves by observing closely Black guys working it out on the dancefloor, and let's face it - a White boy getting down like a Brotha (or in some case, better) makes him an instant hit with the ladies, White or Black (Robin Thicke is another example in more recent years that easily comes to mind). It's the idea of playing against type - recall how President Barack Obama was/is always noted for his being so "articulate". The same could be said for actor Sidney Poitier, who was always known for his elegance and grace, particularly under pressure. Again, Black and White Women alike loved him. Yes, it may be correct to say that we shouldn't peddle in stereotypes, but the student of the Game understands that this is how human minds work. They don't lament the world as it is, but merely uses it to gain a decided advantage in it.

The other point that is worthy of mention here is the fact that both CSPB and DJ said that often other guys will try to shame or deride guys who are great dancers as being gay or somehow not masculine. Although of course, such crude arguments are largely baseless since if a Man wants to dance in a Gay Male setting, especially in a Gay-friendly place like NYC, he can easily do so, it is nevertheless interesting to note that Disco and later, House music got their start in large part, because of the Gay community's openess to new sounds. Much of the moves and looks, of both genres borrowed quite a bit from the Gay community, and it would do a Man well to try to learn what he can from Gay Men along these lines (Lesbian Women can greatly inform a Man's understanding of Women in general as well). The popular tv show, "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" is a play or take on this principle, of how Gay Men have an eye or sensibility for fashion, art and music that most straight Men simply do not have, and would do well to cultivate, especially they have any intentions of seducing the Stephanies of the world. So, the AFC haters do have a point, but as per usual, they miss the forest for the trees.

I don't know how much it cost to make Saturday Night Fever, but according to Wikipedia, it has grossed nearly a quarter of a billion dollars - which suggests that it is among one of the most commercially successful films ever to be made. Talk about Game being right under your nose in plain sight...

Now adjourn your asses...

The Obsidian

15 comment(s).

Damn. You hit it out of the ballpark again. That was absolutely fascinating.

About negs, I tease other women that way sometimes. They like the attention. I usually note how the woman speaks about herself and follow her lead. If she cheerfully admits to her flaws, then she's very self-confident and can take the hit.

Those women admit to them in order to raise their credibility by appearing humble. It's a form of faux-modesty, and is actually proof that a woman is very self-confident. Really intelligent women are the first ones to claim to be a ditz, beautiful women love to talk about their cellulite, and popular women enjoy lamenting their friendlessness.

But be careful because a beautiful woman who is very smart will often be sensitive about her intelligence.

O, another good post. More people should comment. I enjoy putting my 2 cents in. You have struck a chord with these posts and I’m glad to comment to assist in increasing your traffic.

An important thing to note is that if a woman cannot or refuses to let a man lead on the dance floor, he is in for a lot of conflict. It has often been observed that a person’s moves and behavior is a good indication of bedroom skills and predictor of how the relationship (or marriage) will be. This in itself is reason enough for a man to learn to dance. It is one of the best ways to evaluate a woman. It is often said in the manosphere, don’t believe most of what she says but watch what she does. There is no better place to use this truism than when she is dancing.

Also, the simple gentlemanly act of guiding a woman by a man placing his hand in the middle of her back is very effective. It is socially acceptable for any man in any circumstance. Even moving through a crowd, it works well. Men should try it when moving through a crowd and observe the reactions of women. A firm but gentle hand is all it takes. This is non-sexual, but gets a man noticed. This is also a good way to usher a woman off the dance floor. In some ways this works better that taking her hand and “dragging her.” She feels led even though she is in front of him. Of course if it is too crowded he should use common sense and break the trail.

But a hand on her back is golden! Even with a woman he does not know (or even with his mama). This does not raise alarm because her path is open and it is not a social taboo. Even a man with no dance skill can use this little move.

Another good post on why men should learn how to dance
http://captaincapitalism.blogspot.com/2011/01/cowardice-of-men.html

But a hand on her back is golden!
That's true. Another thing that's good is to always make sure she's walking on the side furthest from the street. A lot of men don't pay attention to that. Or they hold your hand and lead you straight into a wall, or something. If you're going to lead, then you have to watch out where you lead her.

Dancing has a major affect on my sensuality.

Same here. Women can really work themselves up that way.

It has often been observed that a person’s moves and behavior is a good indication of bedroom skills and predictor of how the relationship (or marriage) will be.

That's true; I've observed the same. The first time I danced with my husband, I tried to do my own thing. He stepped back and said, "Can't take direction, can you?" I was like, "I can!" and really strained myself and let him lead. That's what our whole marriage has been like. LOL. He leads and I sort of grit my teeth and follow along.

Tuesday, March 1st 2011 @ 5:02 PM

Posted by Obsidian:

Alte says:
"Damn. You hit it out of the ballpark again. That was absolutely fascinating."

O: Thanks!

O.

Tuesday, March 1st 2011 @ 9:50 PM

Posted by Obsidian:

Paigeu says:
"2. Justin Timberlake is another white guy with black guy moves. He is just a white version of Usher."

O: Indeed JT is that, as both he and Usher drew tremendous inspiration from Michael Jackson (as does Justin Bieber, who I'll be writing about soon).

And we can include the late Patrick Swayze, who's "Dirty Dancing" was another pop icon.

O.

Tuesday, March 1st 2011 @ 9:54 PM

Posted by Obsidian:

CSPB,
"O, another good post. More people should comment. I enjoy putting my 2 cents in. You have struck a chord with these posts and I’m glad to comment to assist in increasing your traffic."

O: Thanks and your comments have been truly enlightening, insightful and helpful; I truly hope the fellas out there reading along are taking notes from you. I know I am.

If there's one concern I'm having here it's that the fellas just stay on the wall so to speak; I appreciate the ladies' input but I am hoping to get a bit more feedback from the fellas, as that was who I was hoping to focus on. But it's still early on, so hopefully they'll join in a bit more. Thanks again!

O.

Tuesday, March 1st 2011 @ 10:01 PM

Posted by Obsidian:

You know, as I was studying Saturday Night Fever to prepare to write this post (which will be appearing at The Spearhead before the end of the week by the way; just got word back from Editor-in-Chief Welmer) I noticed several things:

1. That Women wore dresses a heck of a lot more than they do today, to say nothing of the fact that people actually danced more in general then; and

2. That Tony and his friends were at the very least bigoted if not outright racist, yet they immersed themselves in a culture that was greatly influenced, if not created, by the very same people they routinely excoriated: African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Gay Americans. I don't know if the director was trying to drive home a point or not, but I thought the subtle way he did it was quite good.

I don't dance. Surprising statement coming from a Jamaican, but it is what it is. I come from a long line of men who couldn't do it either.

If I am with a girl at a dance party or something, sometimes I'll go out there and let her do the work(if you can call that dancing). I also know some really basic moves just in case. I can do a twist/twirl or two with a partner, I can passably slow dance/waltz, and like most kids my age I can grind(again, if you call that a dance).This is about the extent of the “dancing” I'll do.

Why can't I dance? I don't have an excuse, really, I just don't like it. It isn't in me-I don't express myself in that way and I really have no desire to. Call me square, boring, whatever you like, but it is what it is.

If you’re like me, you have several options:
-Invest an inordinate amount of effort into shifting who you are and trying to learn to dance (and yes, it would require a major personality shift for me to learn this, uh, “Ataru Game”. I’m not “high energy”).
-Jump out there and just try, risk looking like a moron.
-Own it, stand back, and chill.

I chose the last option and have been exercising it for the past couple of months. It works a lot better than the first two(at least for me). In my view, a lot of this mating game is about maximizing strengths and minimizing weaknesses. Dancing (aside from the basic aspects of it I listed earlier) is just an activity I’m not that comfortable with (read: maximizes weaknesses) so I avoid it. That also means avoiding events centered around the activity (read: places where I can’t get away with doing other things without looking odd or like an obvious wallflower).
Fortunately for me there are plenty of other events where I CAN get away with this(even in college), so I just go to them. Everybody wins.

Tuesday, March 1st 2011 @ 10:55 PM

Posted by Obsidian:

Athlone says:
"I don't dance. Surprising statement coming from a Jamaican, but it is what it is. I come from a long line of men who couldn't do it either..."

O: Somehow, this does not surprise me in the least coming from you, LOL. But I am glad that you have a basic two-step down pat, and, don't sweat it if you were born with two left feet for the most part; there's more than one way to skin a cat - although admittedly, not being able to cut a rug and attend the biggest social events means in many ways, that your options will be a bit limited. But with practice and training, you can make the most of the venues that remain. There are many more styles of Game where "Ataru" comes from. And you don't have to be a master of dance in order to master and deploy them.

In your case AM, I would say that the best thing for you to do is to master what I refer to as "Shii-Cho Game" - which focuses on the fundamentals. The beauty of Shii-Cho Game is its simplicity, and for guys like you, its a Godsend. I'll be talking about that and the other forms or styles of Game, soon, so stay tuned.

Off Topic; I am a young guy and I really enjoy your blog. How did you develop such wisdom on your life? What were so major turn points for good and bad that directly changed your life? What books have yourread that changed your life and perspective of the world? How did or how do you remain hopeful after spending a huge portion of your life in the hood

Editor: Wow, now you're asking me to write a memoir, LOL. Seriously, all great questions; maybe before this little blog effort of mine is said and done, I'll get around to answering all that you've asked. Thanks, O.

You know what worse than not dancing, is some of this battle dancing i see know in the hip hop clubs. I see so many dudes when the woman in dancing either get out their camera phone to put it on youtube, or they start doing this douggie or these individual dances to show up the girl, not to actually dance with the girl. It s like the scene in house party where kid n play were battling tisha campbell and that other girl, but they were doing it to eventually get the girl. Dudes out here are doing it to battle and show up the girl instead of dnacing with the girl.

Editor: You make a very good point and was something that I had to take notice of in my research on this post; that dancing and nitelife in general was markedly different in those Disco days. It's something that will be sorely missed, to be sure. Thanks, O.

You Should Be Dancing: Tony Manero & "Ataru Game">>>>>-----------Nice piece of information i never read before regarding this subject....!
Want to know how to get rid of the plantar warts under you feet, find it here at plantar warts